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Synonyms

craw

American  
[kraw] / krɔ /

noun

  1. the crop of a bird or insect.

  2. the stomach of an animal.


idioms

  1. stick in one's craw, to cause considerable or abiding resentment; rankle.

    She said I was pompous, and that really stuck in my craw.

craw British  
/ krɔː /

noun

  1. a less common word for crop

  2. the stomach of an animal

  3. informal to be difficult, or against one's conscience, for one to accept, utter, or believe

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

craw More Idioms  

Etymology

Origin of craw

1350–1400; Middle English crawe, probably akin to crag 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This is the craw that sticks in the throats of mindful Europeans who talk about “strategic autonomy.”

From Slate • Jan. 21, 2026

I’m not at all giving up on this Seattle team, but this L will stick in their craw for a minute.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 17, 2023

That conclusion is sure to stick in the craw of USC fans in particular, after weeks of calling for coordinator Alex Grinch’s job amid the Trojans’ recent defensive collapse.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2023

Such rhetoric would probably stick in the craw of the Afghan leaders of the defeated Western-backed government.

From Washington Post • Aug. 18, 2021

The shame of the lie still stuck in his craw, but Varys had insisted it was necessary.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin